Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg boosted his
lead over his Democratic challenger, according to a poll released Wednesday,
just days after he announced a possible terrorist threat to the citys
subways.

Bloomberg led Fernando Ferrer by 28 percentage
points among likely New York City voters, or 60 percent to 32 percent,
in the Quinnipiac University poll taken from Oct. 4 to Monday.

A Quinnipiac poll released three weeks earlier
found the incumbent leading by 14 percentage points, or 52 percent to
38 percent.

The latest poll began questioning voters two days
before Bloomberg appeared with Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and FBI
officials Oct. 6 to announce the report of what they said was the most
detailed threat against New York City since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

At this stage of the game its an absolute
blowout, partly because of the terrorist threats to the subway and the
way he acted like a commander in chief, said Maurice Carroll,
director of the polling institute.

The police department sent swarms of extra officers
into the subway system and New Yorkers were warned that their luggage,
packages and baby strollers would be closely examined as they entered
train stations. After four days of high alert, the officials announced
Monday there was no clear evidence an attack would be carried out and
scaled back the protection.

CNN and the New York Post, citing unnamed sources,
reported that an informant in Iraq who had told U.S. authorities about
the possible threat by al-Qaida later admitted he made it up. Bloomberg
and police officials questioned those reports Tuesday.

Bloomberg, who is financing his own re-election
with his multibillion dollar fortune, leads Ferrer among black voters
and Democrats. Ferrer, who is of Puerto Rican descent, has a slight
edge over the mayor with Latino voters.

The poll of 725 likely voters has a margin of
error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.